Much of the film revolves around the West Village’s Gaslight Club, which was a real venue, standing at 116 Macdougal Street. The cover for he 1964 album Inside Dave Van Ronk does look extraordinarily like the cover for the fictitious Inside Llewyn Davis, though. The directors claim the screenplay was inspired by Van Ronk’s memoir, The Mayor of MacDougal Street – but then they also said that Fargo was based on a true story. Llewyn Davis ( Oscar Isaac) is loosely based on Dave Van Ronk, who performed in the Village’s bohemian hangouts, and who died in 2002. With its purple-accented, psychedelic décor - I particularly love the purple La Marzocco and accompanying black cat - Meddle was the quirkiest coffee bar I visited during my trip.The Coen brothers follow a week in the life of a Greenwich Village folk musician in 1961, before Bob Dylan catapulted folk into the mainstream. I wasn't yet sure that I'd manage to fit Dark Matter's Mothership cafe into my schedule, so to make sure I had the chance to try their coffee, I stopped by their colourful Meddle Coffee Bar, near Union Station, on my way to brunch one morning. I also sampled some of the light bites on offer: a pistachio doughnut, and a chilli cheese scone, both of which were very good. Both coffees were very well brewed, but I think the bright citrus notes of the Illumination espresso worked particularly well in the smaller drink. Although it was quiet on Saturday morning, the queue was almost out of the door when I returned on Monday.Īs I was pressed for time on both visits, I stuck to the espresso menu, ordering a cortado with the Black Cat espresso on the first time and opting for a macchiato with the Illumination blend on the second. There are a few stools next to the brew bar, as well as tall, sharing tables and smaller tables closer to the revolving doors. The café is large and bright with various pieces of modern art on the walls - tying in with the plentiful public artworks in Millennium Park and the surrounding area. I've enjoyed their beans on many other occasions too.Ĭonveniently, Intelligentsia's Millennium Park coffee bar (one of six in Chicago) was a short walk from my hotel and I visited twice, both times at the end of my morning jogs along the Lakefront Trail. I've visited two of their coffee bars in New York: the now-closed location in Urban Outfitters, Herald Square, and their gorgeous cafe in the lobby of the High Line Hotel. Intelligentsia Coffee, Millennium Park (The Loop)īefore I started researching for this trip, Intelligentsia was one of the few Chicago speciality coffee companies on my radar. Gaslight Coffee Roasters is located at 2385 N. The baristas were welcoming and knowledgeable and Big Shoulders was a great first introduction to the Chicago coffee scene. The single-origin natural Ethiopian Sidamo coffee, with its bright, blueberry notes, was just what I needed to fend off the jet lag. Although tempted by the pourover menu, I instead opted for an espresso. The small coffee bar features seating along the long counter as well as a few more seats near the front windows, underneath a cool mural of rowers making their way along the Chicago River.Īt the back, there's a brew bar and a vibrant orange espresso machine perched on the counter. I headed straight there on my first afternoon, in serious need of coffee after a long day of travelling. I was staying near the verdant, public-art-filled Millennium Park in The Loop, and was pleased to find a branch of this Chicago roastery in close proximity to my hotel. As usual, my very favourites are indicated in purple in the map and with asterisks below. I didn't do too badly, though, and visited nine different coffee shops during my trip. With only four days in the Windy City and plenty of sight-seeing and dining to do too, I was only able to do a whistle-stop tour of Chicago's excellent speciality coffee scene.
Sadly, it didn't, but I did take advantage of the BA Christmas sale to book a long weekend trip from which I returned last week.
I've wanted to visit Chicago for many years but I held out, hoping that an opportunity to go on business might come up.
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